K. Bonnema Leslie
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Altitude Gallery proudly represents K. Bonnema Leslie from Big Fork, Montana.
Read on to learn about the artist's inspiration and artistic journey.
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Artist Bio
Kathy Bonnema Leslie, a Colorado native, makes her permanent home in Montana where she has maintained a studio since 1994. Her work has been exhibited in numerous one-woman and group shows across the country. Ms. Leslie was awarded the University of Northern Colorado Visual Art Scholarship, where she completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts.
As a painter and printmaker, my work is the visual language in which I see the world. I have always been greatly affected by my natural surroundings and am intrigued by the power they have over feelings and our own sense of place. Regardless of medium, I favor a glazing or layering technique, which produces rich vibrant color. I strive to generate the striking color harmonies that I see in nature and the three-dimensional light that plays over the surface of the landscape. I feel it is important to not only paint the subject but the air between myself and the subject, creating a sense of atmosphere, space, and feel. I prefer to work in a "series" as it allows me to explore ideas more fully. The series titles for both original paintings and serigraphs refer to geographical locations or life events that have generated ideas for numerous paintings.
About Serigraphs:
An original hand-pulled serigraph is not a reproduction of a painting, but an original piece of art created in a small series of prints. The serigraphs available on this site were created entirely by hand by the artist. Each color requires a separate screen, and each screen is hand-drawn. Paint is transferred through a fine mesh fabric onto paper. The areas that are not to be printed are blocked with an impermeable substance, and the ink is forced through the remaining “open areas.” The printing is done with acrylic paint and a fluid printmaking medium that allows the paint to flow evenly through the screen onto the paper. All printing is done on museum-quality 100% cotton rag paper. With each individual print, there are 15-35 hand-applied colors. One edition can take from two weeks to a month to complete, and when finished, the image can never be repeated.
Note From the Artist about her Watercolor Process:
Why watercolor? I am drawn to this medium because of the luminous and pure quality of the pigment. I consider myself a non traditional watercolorist. Why? I use an unusual glazing technique, which has evolved over the years and is very time-consuming. All the colors you see have multiple transparent layers, which allow light to pass through and reflect off the white of the paper. This method creates the deep, rich color that my work is known for and that we see with our own eyes every day. Do I paint from photographs? No. Some of my images are of specific places, but these are reinterpreted through my own memory and imagination. Where do I get my ideas? Absolutely anything can create the seed of an idea! A single leaf against a blue sky, a snowstorm, a particular color, shadows in the moonlight, reflections on the water. My job and my joy is to capture something uniquely beautiful and execute it well. If someone else feels joy when they see my work, I have been successful!
